Multiple Reflections Upon the Fast of Tammuz

Multiple Reflections Upon the Fast of Tammuz, by Rav Dr. Aaron Adler

This shiur was given during the 2013 Tanakh Study Days at Herzog College / Yeshivat Har Etzion.

Zekharia 7 Yirmiyahu 52:1-12 Haftara 17 Tammuz

Turning to the book of Zekharya, we begin with a question posed to the prophet: are the fast days still to be in place after the exile? An ambiguous and lengthy answer ends with the response that they will be transformed into days of joy. Conspicuously absent in the answer is a time frame. To better understand what is going on, we explore what happened on the day commemorated by the “fast of the fourth month.” Excerpts from poetry of Ibn Gabirol, among other sources, contribute to a richer picture of what the fast day is about.